US stocks end sharply higher on Trump’s tariff reprieve

Wall Street surged on Tuesday as investor risk appetite was buoyed by U.S. President Donald Trump’s latest tariff respite and an unexpected jump in consumer confidence.

A broad rally sent all three major U.S. stock indexes higher, with strength in the AI-related “magnificent seven” group of momentum stocks putting the tech-laden Nasdaq out front.

The S&P 500 is now within 5% of its record closing high reached on February 19, having plunged as much as 18.9% below that level in the wake of Donald Trump’s erratic tariff announcements, which have whipsawed markets for much of the President’s second term.

“When (Trump) came out with guns blazing April 2, the market thought the world was ending,” said Paul Nolte, senior wealth adviser and market strategist at Murphy and Sylvest in Elmhurst, Illinois. “The selloff was so strong and quick that you would expect some rebound, and the rebound has been so sharp and quick that you would expect some type of pullback as investors digest it and ask themselves what the terrain really looks like.”

In the latest move, the president backed down from his 50% tariff threat against the European Union, delaying its implementation until July 9 to allow for negotiations between the White House and the 27-nation bloc.

“Investors have kind of figured Trump out a little bit,” Nolte added. “He’s like the poker player at the table that you know is making some bets and then when pressed by the other players at the table, he folds.”

On the economic front, a 14.4% surge in current-month consumer confidence added momentum to the rally, helping investors look past a steeper-than-expected drop in new orders for core capital goods, considered a barometer of U.S. corporate spending plans.

Richmond Federal Reserve President Thomas Barkin told Bloomberg that economic data has yet to show increased price pressure or joblessness, echoing the sentiments of many Fed officials who anticipate the key interest rate will remain unchanged until the full effect of Trump’s tariffs is known.

Minutes from the U.S. Federal Reserve’s most recent monetary policy meeting are due on Wednesday.

Long-dated U.S. Treasury yields dipped, while those on the 30-year note were set for their biggest one-day fall since late April, mimicking a steep price rally in longer-term Japanese debt.

According to preliminary data, the S&P 500 gained 118.93 points, or 2.05%, to end at 5,921.75 points, while the Nasdaq Composite gained 460.64 points, or 2.46%, to 19,197.85. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 738.18 points, or 1.77%, to 42,341.25.

All 11 major sectors of the S&P 500 were green.

Airlines and megacap tech-related growth stocks were the clear outperformers.

Semiconductors were also ahead of the pack, one day before chipmaker Nvidia is due to report its quarterly results. Year-on-year, the AI darling is expected to post a 43.5% jump in earnings per share, on a 66.2% revenue surge.

Temu-parent PDD Holdings dropped after reporting a 47% fall in first-quarter profit and missed quarterly revenue estimates.

European shares kicked off the week on a positive note on Monday, recouping the previous session’s losses, as markets heaved a sigh of relief after U.S. President Donald Trump delayed his threat to impose a 50% tariff on the region.

The pan-European STOXX 600 index closed 1% higher. It had lost 0.9% on Friday after Trump unexpectedly called for sharp tariffs on goods from the European Union, saying that negotiations with the region were not moving fast enough.

On Sunday, Trump extended the deadline for tariffs to July 9 from June 1, after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the 27-nation bloc needed more time to produce a deal.

The automobiles and parts index, sensitive to tariff-related pressures, led broader gains with a 1.8% rise. However, they were limited by a 3.3% decline in Porsche.

Defence companies were among the biggest boosts to the STOXX 600 index, with Rheinmetall and Leonardo gaining over 3% each and the aerospace and defence index advancing 1.7%.

The stocks also pulled up the industrial goods and services sector by 1.5%.

The defence and auto sectors helped German stocks rise by 1.7%, near a record high.

Luxury stocks, highly exposed to the U.S. market, also gained. Shares of Kering, LVMH and Richemont rose about 1% each, as did the broader index

“While more time for EU-U.S. negotiations is good news, the speed of the rebound in stocks suggests that investors may have become too optimistic on the path for trade discussions,” said Mark Haefele, chief investment officer at UBS Global Wealth Management.

The euro jumped along with other risk-sensitive currencies, while euro zone government bond yields were little changed, as Trump backtracked from his tariff threats.